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How Southern California Has Influenced The State’s Lead Negotiator On The Colorado River
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• 37:25
Hamby works out of his office at the Imperial Irrigation District in El Centro.
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Zaydee Sanchez
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LAist
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Topline:
The newest season of Imperfect Paradise is about the negotiations to keep a hugely important source of California’s water, the Colorado River, from drying up. In Part 2, how growing up in a desert farming region shaped the way JB Hamby, California’s 28-year old lead negotiator, thinks about water — and how his perspective has changed after a year of working on the river.
Why it matters: The Colorado River provides about 30% of SoCal’s drinking water. The Imperial Valley, where Hamby grew up, raises almost all the vegetables we eat in the winter — using exclusively Colorado River water.
As climate change and overuse shrink the river, it threatens California’s access to the water. Without that water, food prices would jump, farms towns would become ghost towns, and cities would be forced to ration water.
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The backstory: High-stakes talks are currently underway between the seven states that use Colorado River water. Each has a lead negotiator. Their goal? Keep the river from dropping so low that no water would pass through the big dams — meaning no water for California.
Why you should listen: To meet the bolo-tie wearing, chicken-raising, 28-year-old river history nerd representing the biggest user of Colorado River water: California.
How can I listen? Here's Part 2:
New episodes of Imperfect Paradise: The Gen Z Water Dealmaker publish Wednesdays wherever you get your podcasts, on LAist.com, and on broadcast at LAist 89.3 the following Sunday.
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